Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-07-15
pass key and go quietly in. Nothing
more Yzas seen of him that night

/ DGIDlENlIg, ulllCulL
lisb from it any connection between Mr.
Smith and the Manhattan Bank robbery
The men whom he had met in the river
side saloon were not Of the stamp thai
pSrt in bank burgiarias-en
watch demand for their successful accom-
plishment not only ingenuity and daring
but considerable mechanical skill auC
knowledge Is well. Bark burglars are
generally men of some education, and
take the first rank in the criminal profes-
sion, But these men belonged to g much
lower order. l. was perhaps conceivable
that Mr.. Smith himself Wss the meCnGni-
cai genius and operator, and that he bsd
merely used the others to assist or pro
teCt him. But such g hypothesis, If con
Ceivaole, wss in the highest degree i'm
. probable. Why should ne run the risk Of
doing q thing which he could get some
. one else 70 do as well or better for him?
/ Fer that mgtter, however, why should he
/ have had anything 10 with the affair at
/ all: Everything CoDtradIcted the ny
1 pOthcsis that be was IN any straits for
money, End there Yves nc case on record
I Of wealthy man helping thieves to per
petr&te bank burglary merely from g
motive Of friendly good will TO them.
and yet, sgRIn, If he were not in league
4 with outlaws, how was the undOubted
( isct Of mis- association with them 10 be
! explained? CoulG any innocent motive
have impclled him 10 keep @ rendezvous
/ with such men in one Of the lowest slums
4 in the CITY?
The watch upon him was kept up, but
for a long while il resulted in nothing else
CT sEy significance. Mr. Smiths life
seemed absolutely Uneventful. lie WIS
seldom Oul later than II O'CLOCK az night,
nor did ne TeGpp5ar much before that
hour j. The morning. Some efforts that
were made 20 fathom the mystery by ap-
preaching the servants in the house met
with no success. The servants were
three in number, all women. The diff
Guilty with them evidently was not that
they were indisposed to talk. but that
they had nothing 10 sag. They knew
nothing about their master that could be
considered peculiar or stimulating.
Their wages were punctually paid; they
were allowed their full complement Of
evenings out and holidays, and no restrIc-
tIOns were placed upon their entertaining
friends below stairs. Very few people
ever called 10 see AIr Smith, aad those
few were apparently business men, who
c0nversed with him in the sitting room,
and remained but a short time. Mr..
Smith, FOR bachelor, WIS regular in his
habits He always bTeakfssted a. home,
and generally dilod there. He drank
wine st his meals, but seldom more than
2 bottle. Ii was his custom to lunch
abroad, however, and 10 go out il the
evening. On the occasions when he went
out Of town their wages ran on ard they
were left in charge OF the house. 1t was
rare for MIN to be absent more than two
or three weeks at g time, and oitener ne
was away 1cr q Jew days only When he
Was at home indoors he speut his time
partly il smoking and reading the news
papers, and partly II writing. But
whether what he wrote was letters or
something else they cOuid not tell.
Ia the midst Of these rather prohtlesS
proceedings, MI. Smith all at once bought
g ticket to Chicago by the limited express,
Snd started for that city the same after
noon.
The significance Of this circumstance
lay in the fact Jhat,a Gay or two previous,
8 man who WAS known TO be 3 PROBES
sjCrsl thief, and was suspected Of having
9 hand in the Manhattan lob, had ap-
peSred in Chicago, and his presence
there had been telegraphed TO The Hu-
y 4
should happen TO take fancy TO V isiU
thSt city ct the same time looked like
something more than q coincidence, and
his movements were observed with no
small interest.
Mr.. Smith took hack to the Palmer
house, where ne registered mis- reel name,
took 3 BATH and changed his clothes.
Towards evening he issued forth and
adj = az 81
with the shadows in full pursuit. In the
nuighoorhood of the pOstoliice be met the
professional gentleman already men
toned, and they walked along together
till they came 10 q certain large oyster
saloon in 3 corner basement. Here they
took their seats at table in az alCCve,
and MIR. Smith ordered a broil and
bottle of champagne.
Oae OF the detectives sauntered in 8
minute later, glanced carelessly around,
and after some apparent hesits-
lion, took The table in the adjoining al
cave, waiCd Wss separated from the other
by u board partition. The first corners
were Unconscious Of MS proximity. The
waiter brought the gentlemen their order,
and while discussing it they entered into
q confidential conversation, carried on for
The most part in ga undertOne; but OCCa-
s7OIaliY sUch words IS "bGnk, ''Yault," /
securities" and 50 forth were heard,
and caused the detective TO sharpen his
ears TO the utmost.
The first bottle Of champagne was ha-
isled and the waiter was dispatched for
another Meanwhile the detective, under
cover Of getting 3 bottle Of sauCe from 6
table on the opposite side of the saloon, |
was a5le 70 get into 3 position where he
saw the professional hand to MT. Smith /
8 folded paper that bore strong resem- /
blsuCe 20 2 United States bond. Mr.. |
Smith put She bond in his pocket, aud /.
then taking out note book, opened it st |
q certain page and ran his dnger down c !
column Of dgures. TIE detective wss by |
this time returning with the sauce, aud |
he perceived that the figures were moth |!
ing less taan . list u bonds and other Sc /
curities. In e moment Mr.. Smith said, |
81 don't find it here"
"It's right all the same, replied the |
other. "Eou made mistake in copying" /
81 guess not" said Mr. Smith; ~ |
was extra careful.n
"WeI, III te you what'u settle it,
answered bis companion, pulling what .
must have been 9 handful Of letters and /
small pSpers cut Of his pocket, "snd /
that's the printed Observation-Disclosures, II /
I've got s copy Of Il here. On, here It
Is, sure enough lie exclaimed tie next .
moment.
''You are right, after all" remarked /
VI. smith, after examining the paper, /
taouah it's rather queer that I should .